Final Four, Super Bowl Mean Big Opportunities

New Wave staff newwave@tulane.edu
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Men's Final Four, Super Bowl, Women's Final Four — they're coming to New Orleans in 2012 and 2013. The huge events will mean big opportunities for the city's economy and its businesses, so members of the local organizing committee, including Rick Dickson of Tulane University, want to get local companies involved.

Press conference

At a press conference are, from left, Rod West, executive vice president of Entergy; Jacqueline Carpenter, NCAA director of Division I Men's Basketball; Rick Dickson, director of Tulane athletics; and Tisha Ford, manager of events business development with the NFL Special Events Department. (Photo by Sally Asher)


A key program to provide opportunities to small and mid-sized businesses owned by minorities and women was unveiled at a press conference on Aug. 17 led by Dickson, Tulane athletics director, on behalf of the Local Organizing Committee for the Final Four.

The press conference launched the NCAA Access Program and Entergy's Super Bowl Host Committee Emerging Business Program. Both programs are Minority- and Women-Owned Business Enterprise (MWBE) programs focused on providing procurement, educational and business opportunities in the Greater New Orleans area.

On Aug. 31, the first in a series of workshops will be held for interested businesses at the Collins C. Diboll Auditorium, 1440 Canal St.

Dickson said, “The program underscores the longstanding commitment of the NCAA to open doors for small and mid-sized minority and women-owned businesses. We will be reaching out to local companies and offering them a chance to apply to be part of two Final Fours and the Super Bowl.”

Tulane is the host institution for the 2012 NCAA Men's Final Four and host of the 2013 Women's Final Four. Dickson and a number of university leaders and staff members are at work on planning the events.

As a city hosting the 2012 Men's Final Four, 2013 Super Bowl and 2013 Women's Final Four, New Orleans has provided an exclusive opportunity for the both the NCAA and NFL to work together to deliver an unprecedented economic impact on local minority and women-owned businesses.